Midcentury Furniture + Grandkid Nostalgia = Modern TrendFrom NPR: "It first showed up in the 1950s and '60s — think low-slung sofas, egg-shaped chairs and the set of Mad Men. Today, midcentury modern furniture is 'blazing hot,' as one dealer puts it. One explanation is that people often like what their grandparents liked." Why Kids Need Illustration to ReadLegendary children’s book author and artist Sir Quentin Blake on why kids need illustration to read. One of my illustration heroes. Via Explore. Beneath the Cherry BlossomsHeady with beauty and charm, in cherry tree season Japan celebrates environmental values that Western greens have lost. Via The Browser.An Interview With Empress OfFrom AnOther: "Last October, 23-year-old, Brooklyn-based Lorely Rodriguez (AKA Empress Of) released Colorminutes, a series of dreamy, minute-long electronic pop demos, each presented as an individual YouTube video and paired with a corresponding colour. She did this with no real sense of expectation but within weeks music bloggers were hailing her as the new Grimes, enchanted by her sweetly sung melodies and lilting brand of lo-fi synth." Lovely work. Available on iTunes here.